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Well... hasn't this summer just flown by? I was looking forward to it for so long, that when it finally got here, it seemed unreal. Then it went by so quickly it still feels pretty dreamlike. The fact that it snowed the other day has sort of brought me back to "reality". This is what I woke up to a few mornings ago:
Isn't this an incredible place?
When I first started my business three years ago, I had NO idea what I was doing. The Cedar House studio had been around for many years and changed ownership a few times, and I was flattered but totally terrified when the owner offered to sell the business to me. Thankfully, she was kind enough to walk me through the paces, answer tons of my questions and share her business experiences with me. I had never run a business before or even really established a personal budget. I was (and still am!) so grateful for all the help and advice I received while getting started, but I was so worried about doing things the "wrong way" - paperwork, shooting, posing, post-processing, everything! - that I relied entirely on the previous owners' experiences and advice without figuring out what worked best for me. Actually, it took me about a year and a half of business ownership before I started coming into my own and reassessing what sort of business I wanted to run and what my style was. Because of this, I joke that I've only "really" owned the business for a year and a half rather than the (almost) three that it's been.Which leads me to a confession: while I was in the process of developing my style and figuring out my business, I copied other photographers. I started out doing things exactly as the previous owners had done. My clients would suggest selective color or glowy soft-focus shots (shudder) and I would do it, without thinking about what sort of personal "style" I was going for. Then I went to a conference taught by the Sallees and started adding texturing to most of my images. Then, I fell in love with Yervant's high-fashion posing. Then... then... then...
The photographic world is overflowing with people of amazing and unique talent, and I still love looking at what other photogs are doing for inspiration. However, since getting into the nitty-gritty of business ownership, my mentality has changed. I want to create my own style and not be a knockoff. I want people to hire me because 1) they like me as a person and 2) because they like the fact that my work is different. I'm not elegant and simple enough to be Jose Villa, I'm not hip enough to be Noa from Featherlove, I'm not cute and quirky enough to be Axioo, I'm not edgy enough to be Angelica Glass, I'm not insanely brilliant enough to be the guys from MangoRed, and I'm not urban enough or trendy enough to be Jasmine Star (some of the other photographers I regularly check out for inspiration). But that's okay. While I LOVE looking at their work, I'm not trying to be any of them anymore. I have my own style that is totally different and unique, and the more I develop it, the more I like my own work. And, it seems, the more my clients like my work, too. As soon as I stopped trying to be someone else, everything changed for the better.
I try SO hard to come up with new, unique, and original ideas that are "me", and I tailor each of these to my specific clients. Look to others who have gone before you for inspiration or advice, but don't go out and buy the exact same props they have, call up their clients to try to "steal" their locations, or copy and paste text from their websites to use for your own (all things that have happened to me since I started my business). Everyone - clients, other photographers, and most importantly, yourself- will notice if you blatantly copy someone else, and not only is that totally cheap, it won't look like YOU. Trust me - everyone will know. It will look forced and will have no heart, since it's not coming from your own heart but from someone else's. I'm realizing lately that my style is truly reflective of who I am as a person - my personality, the experiences I've had in life, the music I listen to, the movies I watch, the places I've lived and visited, what I think is beautiful. My photographic style has become so intertwined with my own self that intentionally trying to shoot like someone else would be the equivalent of trying to BE someone else. When you come across images that inspire you, be inspired! But try to figure out what, specifically, about that image you like. Is it the lighting? The fact that it's in an unusual location? The way it makes you feel? Then try to cultivate that in your work - in your own way. If you work in a creative field like I do, we got into this business so we could be creative, so let your own sense of style take root! You'll be able to be truly proud of your own work, and you'll love it so much more when you're true to yourself and doing something that comes entirely from your own heart.
And because I just can't post a blog with no images, here is a quick sneak peek of my lovely friend Danica from a fun conceptual shoot I did last week. Isn't she gorgeous?
When I shoot weddings, people frequently come up to me during the reception when the dance floor is getting hot and say something like, "Man, it sucks that you have to work and you can't have fun at weddings!" I always laugh and start trying to explain myself, but it can be a long explanation :) I would SO much rather shoot a wedding than be a guest at a wedding - and this definitely includes my friends' weddings, too!A few years ago I took the intensive Meyers-Briggs personality test. I was a little skeptical at first, but as soon as I got my results and started reading about my personality type, it was seriously eerie. I'm an INTP, which basically means that I'm introverted, independent rather than being a leader or a follower, and really really logical rather than emotional. Things that I thought were just weird little personal idiosyncrasies are, it turns out, particular to all INTPs. It was actually kind of creepy. Like, for example, I've always hated games. I'm really not sure what my deal is, but card games, Monopoly, mini-golf, whatever - you name a game, I can guarantee I will never want to play it. I always thought this was just another one of my weird "things", but it turns out all INTPs just hate games. Other famous people with my personality type include Einstein, Pascal, Carl Jung, Darwin, both of the Olsen twins, Descartes, Socrates, and - the one that really made it hit home - Brian the dog from "Family Guy". That was my true "aha!" moment - it was like the planets aligning. I. am. Brian. It all makes so much sense now :) Although it's a pretty uncommon personality type, I have two close friends who are also INTPs, and we can pretty much read each other's minds.
What being an INTP means for me as a photographer is pretty cool - actually, "photographer" is one of my recommended careers. To quote from the intp.org website, we have "...a curious desire to observe from a detached position.." and "tend to mirror the emotional content of the other person". Although I love my friends, it takes a lot of mental energy for me to be a guest at a big event. I've noticed that this is one of the things that I love about shooting weddings: I can be a part of your social event while still being my introvert self - you know, "observing from a detached position". It's totally ideal for me. Also, I definitely find myself mirroring the attitude of my clients on their wedding day. I'm pretty easy to get along with because I feed off of other people's "vibes".
In terms of composition, "When involved in portrait or people photography, the INTP will also be primarily concerned with the mood conveyed by the person in the eye of the lens. Quality photographic skill, as well as an intrinsic feel for imagery, is usually second nature to the INTP and can make a good career choice. When viewing photographic images, say in magazines, the overriding concern is for how the photo is conveyed; its mood, its colour, contrast and shading usages, its perspectives and image quality." And, it's true! My favorite images (both mine and other photographers') are the ones that really make me feel something. Not just a singular emotion ("oh, this one of people smiling makes me feel happy") but images that portray mood- images that make you feel the same way you felt when you were there.
If you haven't taken the Meyers-Briggs test and you'd like to, you can take it for free here, but you have to sign up for a free account.
If you want to find out more about INTPs and you like reading lots of dense scientific material, you can read about us here :) Because we're nerds like that.
Speaking of "mood"... here are some fun images from Maddie's senior portrait session that I love the mood of:
I can't wait to blog this session! :)
Alright, my dears. I know I've been a bad blogger - trust me, it's not for lack of images to share! I've been going nonstop and it's wonderful and I barely have time to breathe and I'm loving it! I've pretty much been in a different city every day (BV-Salida-Denver-Colorado Springs-Estes Park-Manitou Springs-Leadville) so things are a little nuts. This summer, I've tried to be a little more intentional about scheduling myself for one day off a week, and that's made such a difference with my attitude in general and my workflow. Actually, coming up this weekend is my one weekend off this summer until the end of September! Yay! So, Zach and I are headed to Santa Fe, my hometown, for a little relaxing, tequila drinking, and sunlight following. And I can't wait.As of right now, here's a list of the shoots that are waiting for their glorious debut in blog-land:
FOUR fabulous weddings
ONE engagement film
ONE wedding film
ONE newborn
ONE family
ONE insane Trash the Dress session involving mysterious food items
ONE gorgeous Day After session at Rocky Mountain National Park
SEVEN absolutely wonderful seniors.
And a partridge in a pear tree. Okay... not really. But there will be an apple tree :)
Here's one gigantic preview of some of the good stuff coming up on the blog soon.
And there will be so much more than this, too. Trust me. On a scheduling note, I'll be out of the studio this weekend, and I'm now booking for late September and October. So give me a call and let's go make something beautiful!
I get a lot of photography questions, and I've always tried to respond personally to each one. I realized that I get a lot of the same questions over and over, so I thought I'd take the time to answer them on my blog, in case any of you out there were wondering the same things! If you have a question, feel free to email it to me at molly {at} cedarhousephotography {dot} com and I'll do my best to answer it!What programs do you use to do your editing?
I use Adobe Lightroom 2.7 and Photoshop CS4, although I'm dying to come up with an excuse to get CS5 ;) I absolutely love Lightroom and would be lost without it. Although Bridge can do a lot of the same things, I think Lightroom is much more user-friendly and definitely worth the investment. I also use Photoshop CS4 to composite my images together and add the logo for the blog.
What kind of camera and lenses do you use?
"Canon or Nikon" is like the original "mac vs. PC / Coke vs. Pepsi" rivalry. Everyone has their preference, and many people on either side of the debate might be willing to die to defend it :) If you don't believe me, check out this video. However, I would estimate that 95% or so of pros use either Canon or Nikon, with the small remainder using brands like Sony or Olympus. Asking me the "Canon or Nikon" question is a little bit of a trick question, since right now I'm shooting with (gasp!) both. I started out with a Nikon D2xs and bought a Canon 5D MarkII about a year ago, and when I shoot weddings, I bring both with me and keep a 50mm 1.4 on one and a 28-105 on the other. When I'm shooting senior portraits, etc, I'm pretty much always using the 50 mm 1.4... I just love the quality and feel of prime lenses. I've been shooting with the 5D Mark II more and more lately and have recently decided to make the switch all the way to Canon. So, on that note, I'm also selling a bunch of Nikon stuff! Let me know if you're interested :)
I'm getting more into photography lately. What's a good starter lens for me?
Well, this really depends on what you're shooting. For portraits or people shots, I would recommend a prime lens like a 50 or 85 mm with a shallow depth of field, such as a 1.8 or 1.4. I find that I prefer the 50mm in most situations and I really don't use my 85 that much. The only big drawback to using a prime lens is that they're "fixed focal length" which means that you don't get any sort of zoom capability. However, if you're interested in sports photography or wildlife, for example, you might want to think about getting a good telephoto lens, which will enable you to zoom right in on your athlete or your bighorn sheep without having to be right up close :)
How do you get your images to have such vibrant color? Do you make saturation adjustments in Photoshop?
Actually, nope, I never touch the saturation - I find that doing so makes the colors look a little unrealistic and fake. Honestly, the best way to get amazing color in your images is to nail your exposure in-camera so that you don't have to mess with it later. Also, I intentionally shoot in areas that have a lot of color- green trees or grass, colored walls, etc. The only time I really make color adjustments is when I'm editing a shoot that took place in less-than-ideal lighting conditions - for example, under fluorescent lights. Fluorescent lights tend to do funky things to skin tones and give everything sort of a bluish-greenish cast, so if I absolutely have to shoot under them, I'll have to make adjustments to my white balance so that the skin tones will look more natural. Natural-looking is the way I like it!
Did you Photoshop that?
Ooh, this question is a toughie. Without even looking at the image you're referring to, I can say, technically, yes. All my images are edited with Photoshop. But this probably doesn't mean what you think it means :) I use Photoshop to sharpen, remove blemishes, and do some general fine-tuning. However, I don't shoot people in the studio and Photoshop them to look like they're sitting in front of the mountains, for example. If you see someone in front of an amazing background, they were really there! I'll also never change your eye color or hair color. Sometimes I will edit out distracting elements like power lines or pieces of trash on the ground, but that's about it.
Do you teach classes or workshops?
I've been getting so many of these questions lately that I'm definitely thinking about putting something together. Although I don't have anything set up right now, if I have enough people interested, I'd love to host a workshop! Let me know if you're interested!
Thanks for the great questions, everyone! And because every blog post is better with an image... here's a sneak peek from Cole & Sara's wedding this last weekend. Enjoy!
